Maritime coalition seeks Net Zero Framework changes

A GROUP that claims to represent half of the world’s shipping tonnage is calling on the IMO to consider alternatives to the Net Zero Framework and to seek genuine consensus on a way forward.

The coalition includes the world's three largest open ship registries, the Liberian Registry, the Panama Maritime Authority, and the Marshall Islands Registry, as well as two of the world's leading classification societies, major national and regional shipowner associations across Europe, Asia, and the Americas, and prominent shipping companies operating across all major vessel segments.

“[We see] the upcoming MEPC 84 session as a decisive opportunity to build the consensus the industry urgently needs,” the group said, in an open letter.

“The maritime industry is united in its commitment to decarbonization. Shipping carries approximately 80% of world trade and is responsible for roughly 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Achieving net-zero emissions by or around 2050 is a shared goal, one that demands a global, coordinated, and durable regulatory response.

“It is precisely this shared commitment that motivates the coalition's call today. The extraordinary session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC ES.2) in October 2025 concluded without the adoption of the Net-Zero Framework, an outcome that underscored the depth of the divisions that remain among IMO Member States.

“Since that session, the coalition notes that concerns regarding the NZF's practical implementation have grown, and support for the framework in its current form has continued to erode.

“The signatories reaffirm their conviction that the IMO is, and must remain, the essential global regulator for international shipping. Only the IMO has the mandate, the legitimacy, and the reach to deliver the level playing field that shipowners, fuel producers, and investors need to commit the trillions of dollars required to decarbonize the global fleet.

“When approaches are not globally aligned, the result can be market distortions, increased costs for operators and consumers, and, ultimately, delays in the transition they seek to accelerate,” the group said.

“With this in mind, the coalition calls on Member States and the Organization to give serious and open-minded consideration to the alternative proposals that have been submitted, and to use MEPC 84 as the platform for the alignment the industry has been waiting for.”

The coalition's message ahead of MEPC 84 (27 April – 1 May 2026, London) is one of constructive resolve, it says.

“The industry is ready to invest, to transition, and to decarbonize, but it needs the clarity and the certainty that only a globally agreed, broadly supported framework can deliver. Investments in new vessels, alternative fuels, and bunkering infrastructure involve decades-long asset lifetimes and billions of dollars in capital.

“Regulatory uncertainty is not a neutral condition; it delays progress, inflates costs, and ultimately slows the very transition the world needs. The window for action is now. The coalition stands ready to support Member States in finding that path forward.”